The Journey 4.

Autumn. In & Around The Town Of Mormass.

Captain Jarmic Komav rolls his eyes as Sunbeam the dragon says to him "There, more to the left".
The burnt orange coloured dragon who is on his side, rumbles in contentment when the airship captain scratches him in the spot indicated.
"You know you can do this yourself" says Jarmic Komav the captain of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame.
"I can't reach there" says the dragon who has been in the Komav family since the egg.
"I meant with a spell" dryly says captain Jarmic who is using a long handled steel rake to scratch in between the thick armoured plates on the large dragon's back.
"It's not the same" says Sunbeam who lets out a sigh of relief, which is more of a rumble than anything else, which slightly shakes the ground beneath him.
"If you keep scratching my back, I'll help fix your ship" states the dragon, whose rider is Daeliss Komav, the younger cousin of captain Jarmic Komav.
"Thanks" says the captain of the Dragon Flame, who slightly pauses before he adds in a murmur "I think".
As the last time Sunbeam offered to help fix the Dragon Flame when it was damaged. The dragon put the centre mast back on upside down.
The airship captain is a little reluctant to have Sunbeam help with the latest repairs.
Which have stopped for the day, as it's now twilight, early evening.
And the crew, and shipwrights repairing the Dragon Flame. Which admittedly isn't that badly damaged from this morning's battle.
Are having their evening meal. With many of them up on the deck in the cool early evening air. Watching the warship captain scratch the back of Sunbeam, who lies near Jarmic's airship.
"Where's that cousin of mine?" asks captain Jarmic, who continues with "She should be the one doing this".
The warship captain doesn't mind spending time with Sunbeam. After all the dragon has known Jarmic since the captain was born.
But scratching the dragon's back is a lot of work, especially since Sunbeam is so large.
For even as the dragon lies on his side so the top of his back can be reached by Jarmic. The warship captain still has to stretch with the long handled rake to scratch between the large armoured plates along Sunbeam's back.
The airship captain who is on admiral Halmack's planning staff. Is just glad Sunbeam doesn't have protrusions and small spikes sticking out of him like some dragons do.
As that would be a complete hassle to scratch a dragon if he did. As dragons, who like nothing better to do than to laze around, lying in the sun.
Only like a few things more than that. One being scratched in spots they find difficult to physically reach. And another being battle. As all dragons, no matter what faction they're in. Enjoy a good battle.
Whether they're fighting against one another. Or against a fleet of warships. Or both. A dragon finds great pleasure in battle.
Jarmic Komav shakes his head as he looks at Sunbeam as he continues to scratch the dragon's broad back.
The captain of the Dragon Flame knows that his airship is one in the fleet that gets more protection than just about any other warship in the fleet.
For the simple reason he's a Komav. And that Sunbeam will protect him and his warship. It's why the Dragon Flame goes into battle with just two spellcasters onboard. While other war galleys have up to five and sometimes six spellcasters during battle.
The battlecruiser Dragon Flame's wards are provided for the most part by Sunbeam.
And why the damage they sustained in this morning's battle, was fairly light. And those who were injured, were injured by a falling spar and sail block. Caused by a sharp manoeuvre, and not any number of spells cast at it by the enemy.
Jarmic Komav like any good captain, blames himself for that. And not his crew, who carried out his orders for such a sharp turn to port this morning.
"I should get a damn ladder" mutters the captain of the Dragon Flame, who got his commission three years ago at the age of twenty five. Making him the youngest captain of a battlecruiser in not just the fleet, but the entire faction.
Something very rare for a commoner. As he was previously a first officer on a small single masted patrol vessel.
Jarmic knows exactly why he was given the Dragon Flame in his mid twenties. He's scratching the back of the reason why.
"Yes that's a good idea" says Sunbeam, who continues in his rumbling voice "A ladder" he then adds "You do that next time".
The fleet captain rolls his eyes, and reminds himself to keep his thoughts to himself around Sunbeam.
Jarmic moves back as the dragon tells him he's going to roll over. After Sunbeam does, the burnt orange coloured dragon tells the warship captain to scratch under his right arm.
Captain Komav sourly smiles as Sunbeam is perfectly able to scratch there with his left front claws.
But nevertheless, the airship captain uses the long handled rake to scratch there.
"Hmmmmm that's good" rumbles Sunbeam who is a relatively young dragon, as he hatched just under a hundred years ago.
And twenty years after that, he picked his first rider. Who was captain Jarmic's grandmother.
After her was one of Jarmic's uncles, the father of his cousin Daeliss. And now Daeliss is the current rider of Sunbeam, and has been for nearly three years now, ever since her father passed away.
Jarmic who as a child, like everyone in the extended Komav family. Harboured thoughts of being Sunbeam's rider.
But as he got older, he knew that was unlikely to happen. As did everyone else in the family who had the same thoughts.
As Sunbeam made it pretty clear who would be his next rider, if and when Jarmic's uncle would die.
A dragon that's been in a family since the egg. Will never outright say who it's next rider will be. But it makes it pretty clear who it will be by doting on it's next rider.
And as Sunbeam did with Daeliss when she was younger. He now does with Jarmic's niece Pallison. His older brother's young daughter.
Though Jarmic doesn't want her to be Sunbeam's rider anytime soon. Hopefully that will be decades away. For Pallison Komav to be the rider of Sunbeam, that means Daeliss will be dead.
As he thinks about his family, Jarmic Komav winces when Sunbeam suddenly says to him "When are you getting married Jarmic?".
"Er?" says the fleet captain, who shoots a glance to his warship, and hopes the conversation he's having with Sunbeam is in his head, as is often the case. As he doesn't particularly want his crew to hear any of this.
"You still got a fancy for that seamstress back home in Halvarc?" asks the large dragon who continues with "Or that lady in waiting in Highsun?".
Sunbeam briefly pauses as he thinks about something, then he adds "Or that's lord's daughter in the capital?" followed by "Or the junior officer in the army, you know the pretty one with the dark hair".
Captain Jarmic Komav cringes as Sunbeam continues with "Or that farmer's daughter, you remember her, the milkmaid" he then adds in his rumbling voice "You know, the mother of your bastard".
The large dragon briefly pauses before saying "Actually you've got a few bastards haven't you?" followed by "There was that merchant's daughter up north, and that other noblewoman up in the mountain country too" he then adds "If i recall they're the mothers of your bastard children".
Jarmic Komav grimaces and mutters "Hell" as Sunbeam continues to go through all the women that the warship captain has had dalliances with, which amount to quite a lot.
In the middle of the large dragon going through the fair number of women captain Komav has had some kind of relationship with, Jarmic interrupts him with "Where's Daeliss?" followed by "Is she coming back here tonight?" he quickly adds "Or she staying in town?".
Sunbeam grunts, as the mention of his rider is the only thing that will stop him chatting about Jarmic's sordid affairs.
"Oh she's coming back here tonight" says the dragon who has been with the Komav family since the egg.
"Thank the gods for that" mutters the captain of the Dragon Flame, who is of the opinion that his cousin Daeliss gets here the sooner, the better.
Not wanting Sunbeam to resume his diatribe of numerous relationships captain Jarmic has been in, the warship captain quietly asks the large dragon "What's she been doing in town since the battle?".
Sunbeam who is a total gossip with anyone in the Komav family. Tells the airship captain what Daeliss has been doing since the battle this morning.
Jarmic Komav who hasn't gone into town at all since the battle. He's spoken to admiral Halmack earlier, who was going around checking on the damaged vessels in the fleet.
So he listens to what Sunbeam has to say. As the dragon constantly watches and listens to his rider. Usually by magical means, especially in a town like Mormass, which is too small for him to land in without destroying buildings and homes.
As he looks around at the tents that have gone up for the soldiers in the army, and the shipwrights in the fleet. With camp fires and cook fires lit this early autumn evening.
The warship captain isn't too surprised at what Sunbeam has to tell him. Until he gets to a tidbit of information that's more than a little interesting.
"Damn" quietly says Jarmic Komav, who then sighs as the large dragon rolls more to one side, wanting his belly scratched.
As he vigorously uses the the long handled steel rake to scratch the belly of Sunbeam, the captain in the fleet quietly asks him "How did lord Ganulf take that?".
"Not too well as you can imagine" says Sunbeam, who continues with "More to the left, and down" followed by "That's the spot".
"I can well imagine all right" quietly says the captain of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame, who briefly pauses before adding "His own family is finally turning on him".
"Certainly looks like it" says Sunbeam, who continues on with "It was bound to happen some day, after all he did leave the Salmain's and join our faction".
Jarmic can only nod in agreement with that. And though he doesn't particularly get along with lord Ganulf, the lord of the city of Highsun. Who is the advisor to the prince. Infact hardly anyone gets along with lord Ganulf .
There's no denying his lordship's commitment to their faction. As he's full in behind their ideals and beliefs.
There's never been any doubt in lord Ganulf's loyalty ever since he left the Salmain faction and joined their's.
For the simple reason, every single person who leaves one faction and joins another. Is checked by numerous spellcasters. And most importantly by the dragons of the faction that person is joining.
Sedition and spying is a non factor in the factions within the kingdom of Terrindim.
Everyone in every faction, is loyal to that particular faction. And they fight for their beliefs and ideals.
And lord Ganulf, who left the Salmain's, which his family has been in command of for generations, a few years ago.
Mainly because he no longer agreed with the way things were going in the Salmain faction. And also because he wanted a chance at being the dragon Firelight's rider.
Which he missed out on, along with a couple hundred other candidates. As Firelight picked sir Malfane of Halvarc province instead.
"Well, i wonder if he'll go into battle now?" muses captain Jarmic Komav.
"If how angry he looked when he found out is anything to go by, I'd say he will" says Sunbeam the dragon.
The captain of the Dragon Flame nods, as he's been told lord Ganulf is an excellent airship helmsman and captain, but he's never seen him in action to know if those rumours are true or not.
Jarmic then quickly backs up, as Sunbeam suddenly rolls onto all fours, and lifts his neck and head up, and croons as he stretches his wings.
Captain Komav rolls his eyes as he knows what that means. For the dragon Firelight who is about eighty yards away to the left, does exactly the same thing. Their riders have left town, and are heading this way.
"I gather Daeliss is coming?" dryly asks the fleet captain.
"Yes" excitedly says Sunbeam who prances around in circles, spreading his nearly three hundred foot wingspan as he does so.
Jarmic is just glad the large dragon is flapping his wings high up off the ground. For if they were down low, the wind created from them, would buffer him, and easily knock him down.
After Sunbeam prances around in a circle a couple more times, he drops down onto his belly, and settles his wings down along his back.
Captain Komav can't help but smile as he sees the large eyes of the dragon whirl in pleasure as his rider approaches.
The airship captain turns, and between some of the tents that are up, he spots the dragon riders waking this way, they're followed by someone with a limp.
Jarmic slightly nods, as he sees it's the young airman Orvick, who is one of admiral Halmack's aides. The able airman with a club foot is carrying a couple of the saddlebags that belong to the dragon riders.
Sir Malfane briefly stops and greets both Sunbeam and captain Jarmic. Then he moves on, heading to his dragon Firelight.
Airman Orvick hands one of the saddlebags to Daeliss Komav, though after he bows to Sunbeam first.
Then the young airman scampers after sir Malfane who calls back "Hurry up airman, you'll be camping with me and Firelight tonight!".
"Oh truly" says able airman Orvick in an excited tone, as he hurries to catch up to the nobleborn dragon rider.
As he stands there leaning on the long handled steel rake, captain Jarmic Komav slightly shakes his head. For though his cousin didn't see it. He clearly saw the wonder in young Orvick's eyes. Which wasn't just directed at Sunbeam, more so at the dragon's rider.
The warship captain looks at his cousin Daeliss, who is leaning against Sunbeam's snout, scratching his nose.
He slightly shakes his head again, as he knows his younger cousin is totally oblivious to affection directed at her by able airman Orvick.
And true, there's quite a few young men throughout the fleet who are in love with dragon rider Daeliss Komav. None more so than young Orvick, aide to admiral Halmack.
"So what have you two been up to?" asks Daeliss Komav as she looks over at her older cousin the captain of the Dragon Flame.
"Scratching that lazy steed of yours" replies the warship captain.
"I'm not lazy" protests Sunbeam the dragon.
"I don't know about that" dryly says the commonborn dragon rider, who knows her dragon Sunbeam can be extremely lazy at times.
The large dragon whuffs through his snout, which almost knocks over Daeliss, who laughs as she staggers backwards.
"Lazy indeed" says Sunbeam with a shake of his large head.
The dragon with a pointed look in the direction of the older of the two cousins, continues on with "If you want to know what we were really doing, we were discussing all the women in Jarmic's life" followed by "And the bastards he's got on some of them".
"I'm out of here" quickly says captain Jarmic Komav who hurries back to his nearby airship after he tosses the long handled rake down next to his cousin's saddlebags.
The airship captain grimaces as he hears his cousin guffaw, then laugh as Sunbeam says to her "I just mentioned when he was going to get married" followed by "And all of a sudden all the possibilities popped into my head".
As Jarmic gets to the Dragon Flame and starts to climb the netting up the hull, he sourly smiles as he hears his cousin Daeliss continuing to laugh as her dragon tells her "I didn't even get to half of the possibilities, as there's so many of them".
Captain Jarmic Komav climbs over the rail wincing in embarrassment as he can clearly hear his younger cousin still laughing as Sunbeam resumes with all the relationships, no matter how brief, that the captain of the Dragon Flame has been in since he was a teenager.
Everybody else on the deck of the Dragon Flame can hear what Sunbeam is saying too. Along with others nearby in the camp and on the airships that are close.
"Bloody hell, trust me to be in a family with a dragon" mutters Jarmic Komav as he hears laughter from some of his crew on deck, and from the nearby airships and tents as everyone within hearing distance, listens to what Sunbeam the dragon is talking to his rider about . . . . . .